DBT plus FFDM increases cancer detection rates for high-risk women

Using full-field digital mammography (FFDM) with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) increases the cancer detection rate in women with dense breasts, according to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Elizabeth Rafferty and Loren Niklason, PhD, compared the clinical performance of FFDM and FFDM plus tomosynthesis in women with dense breast tissue. They used a set of 293 cases that included 69 cancers, 74 benign biopsies, 50 recalled screening cases, and 100 negative screening cases with a BI-RADS density score of 3 or 4.

For all cancer cases combined, recall rates for FFDM plus DBT were 9.7% higher than for FFDM alone, they found. In addition, for noncancer screening cases (recalls and negatives), the recall rate was 23.3% for FFDM plus DBT versus 33.9% for FFDM alone, a reduction of 31% in the noncancer recall rate.